“Offering Unparalleled Reliability”

Innovation, Collaboration, and Reliability are the three core values responsible for driving growth and securing the long-term success of SDS2. These core values are integral pieces of SDS2’s vision, enabling SDS2 to deliver the most advanced solutions to the structural steel industry. They are also applicable descriptors of the CEO, Stuart Broome himself. As a company leader, he is forward-thinking, innovative and always has his eyes on worldwide market trends that will affect both SDS2 and the end-users.

"We are building on a solid foundation of great products and services that align to serve our customers’ wants and needs."

He believes in surrounding himself with the most talented individuals to support the mission of SDS2, and he inspires greater collaboration among all employees, with a natural ability to draw out the strengths of his team members to achieve success. In particular, Stuart’s ability to form a clearly articulated vision has brought the employees together around a common goal to equip the structural steel industry worldwide with complete detailing solutions of unparalleled reliability and integral value. Although Stuart wants to push SDS2 toward greater success and into new worldwide markets, he recognizes the importance of the company’s foundation and the stability of their products and respects the users' demands and expectations.

As per Stuart, one of the biggest challenges plaguing steel detailers has been designing the steel connections. “In a 2D world, connection design for a single end of a beam to a column was simple; however, the way that connection interacts in the node where other connections occurred was challenging to visualize in 2 dimensions,” he explains. “The 3D model in SDS2 solved this detailing challenge by designing connections that interact with the steel around them to ensure exact fit-up on the construction site and second, by providing the first 3D visual representation of a steel fabrication model.” SDS2 is still the only steel detailing software that can engineer steel connections, ensure erectability in the field, and provide engineering review calculations. “By calculating the interaction of multiple connections and constructing those connections, expensive field errors and clashes are completely avoided,” he explains.

SDS2 offers an automated and complete connection design solution to streamline project workflows, with built-in intelligence for structural integrity, constructability, and erectability. Steel detailing built around connection design shows its value throughout the complete lifecycle of a steel construction project, from design and detailing to fabrication, shipping, erection, and construction. “Smarter connections mean fewer RFIs going back to the engineer at every stage, designs that can be optimized for the particular fabrication shop, and fewer errors making it to the field where they cost the most in time and expense,” adds Stuart. Sharing an instance, Stuart talks about PVS Structures—one of the top industrial fabricators in the US—who wanted to maintain their competitive edge by digitalizing and automating their processes, including investing in a state-of-the-art robotic welder. The fabrication-driven set-up options available in SDS2 allowed them to take advantage of their new equipment and make quick changes to their fabrication plans, even in the middle of a project. “Working towards client’s satisfaction is our ultimate goal,” adds the steadfast leader.

For the days to come, SDS2 wants to include a refreshed UI/UX, expanded API capabilities, and enhanced modeling and reporting tools, alongside adding support for more complex connections, and updating features to make users’ jobs easier. “We are stepping up our game in supporting education for our industry and have recently released a free student version of our software,” says Stuart. “Accessibility to the software tools will help introduce more talented individuals to career possibilities in the steel industry, which will ultimately support our customers’ long-term growth.” Additionally, SDS2 is placing an increased focus on collaboration to build a better product and a better network for their user base. It is pertinent to mention that SDS2 has undertaken a major rebranding project that will be unveiled with their 2021 release. “We want our customers to know that we are building on a solid foundation of great products and services that align to serve our customers' wants and needs.” IE